Latin

A Priori

ay pry-OR-eye
A Latin term meaning "from the earlier." It refers to knowledge or justification that is independent of experience or observation, derived from theoretical deduction or reasoning.
The philosopher argued that the existence of God could be proven a priori, without relying on empirical evidence.
In the U.S. Supreme Court case Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), the Court used a priori reasoning to establish a constitutional right to privacy, based on inferences from other rights explicitly protected in the Bill of Rights.
← Back to BrowseNext Term →

Frequently Asked Questions

A priori knowledge is independent of experience, while a posteriori knowledge is derived from experience or empirical evidence.

Yes, if the reasoning is flawed or if the underlying premises are incorrect.

While commonly used in philosophy, a priori reasoning can be found in other fields like mathematics, logic, and even some scientific theories.

See all that Filevine can do with a customized demonstration from our team

Schedule a Demo